Method of disintegrating amorphous bodies.



To all whom it may concern:

, sns

east-son or metastases-rams mbul nces no. scenes.

Specification of Letters Patent.

WELLAND yatented. Feb. 5,, 1907.

Application fil d December 81, 1906. Serial No. 850,100.

Beit known that I, EDWARD G. 'Aonnsoiv,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Stamford township, in the county of Welland, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Disintegrating AmorphousBodies, of which the following is a specification. I My invention relates "to a method of treatmg amorphous bodies, having for its general object the disintegration thereof into the finest possible particles or molecules, whereby said fine particles or molecules may be further treated or used in various ways and for many purposes.

My invention consists in the method, substantially as hereinafter set forth, whereby the results substantially as stated may be accomplished.

it is exceedingly desirable in many cases that non-fused mineral bodies elemental or compound incharacter and more particucles or molecules may be floccul'ate larly amorphous bodies or substances-for instance like graphite, lampblack, precipitated u. umina, siloiiicon, and amorphouscarbid of silicon-be disintegrated and deflocculated into the finest possible particles or molecules, whereby the particles'or molecules may be maintained in this finely subdivided or disintegrated condition, so that, for instance, they will remain suspended in water and can be used in this connection with great advantages, as in lubrication and the like, whereby the deflocculated arti an otherwise treated and collected for use in various connections, as in the formation of molded and other articles.

I have discovered that certain non-fused.

mineral bodies, and more particularly amorphousbodies, when treated or subjected to the action of certain materials, as more particularly set forth hereinafter, can not only be disintegrated into exceedingly-fine particlesor molecules, but they will remain in this condition without the usual tendency to 00- as to cause them to flocculate, and in this alesce or flocculate and while in this condition may be used for various purposes.

The deflocculated particles or molecules can be further treated, as herein set forth, so

way the amorphous bodies may beseparated from other bodies, as crystalline bodies, and can be used for various purposes.

The material used in treating the nonfused -mineral bodies, especially the amorphous bodies, and which have this modifying efi'ect thereon, may vary in different cases,

and I have found that various material having the astringent tannic principle-such as is found in gallo tannic acid, catechu, ex-

tract of straw, .and other materials havmg like characteristic'shave a mod' bodies. The method of using these materials for the purposes intended may vary acg effect like those due to the effects of tannin on these cording to circumstances, and I will illustrate my invention by specific instances of its use.

Generally stated, the non-fused mineral body, particularly the amorphous body, is

preferably used in a powdered form. The

powderc amorphous body in moistened 01' Wetted with a solution of the modifying materialsuch as gallo-tannic' acid, catechu, or the like-and the mass is thoroughly worked, as by means of a mortar or pugging-mill or the like, and it is then subjected to the action of a bur-mill .or other grinding-machine, wherein it is disinte ated'. The material may then be dried an used in various ways, or as when an especially pure, fine, and umform product is desired the material as it comes from the bur-mill or other grindingmachine is diluted with water or other liquid in a suitable vessel, and the fine disintegrated and flocculated particles or molecules of the body being treated are suspended in the liquid and may be caused to float into another vessel or tank, and this maybe repeated one or more times. The fine disintegrated and deflocculated particles or molecules may be recovered from the liquid in various ways, preferably by addin to the liquid carrying the molecules a smalfamount of muriatic acid 61' alum, which will cause the deflocculated particles or molecules to fiooculate and settle, whereupon the clear liquid, free from the molecules, may be decanted or si honed off and the articles or molecules co lected in the form 0. a very fine powder and washed, dried, or otherwise treated and used. I have successfully used this method thus generally stated in connection with various bodies, among which I may mention siloxicon, graph te, lampblack, alumina,and amorphous carbld of s1l1con.

As a specific instance siloxlcon and amorphous carbid of silicon were m xed in about equal amounts, and without intention the mlxturecontained a small amount of carborundum or crystalline carbid of silicon, and this mixture was wett'ed with an a ueous solution of catechu, the amount 0 catechu added being about three per cent. of the amor hous material. The mass was thoroug y worked up and then submitted to a grinding operation forv a considerable period. It was then diluted with water,-and after standing a short time the upper por tion of the water carrying in sus ension the deflocculated particles or molec eswas decanted into another vessel and more water added and the decantation repeated. The

defiocculated particles or molecules suspended'in the water were so fine that when some of the water carrying them was thrown on a fine fi1ter-paper the particles or molecules passed throughthe paper. with the water with apparent case; To the waterholding the deflocculated particles or molecules was added a solution of alum, the amount of alum being about three per cent. of the sus pended molecules. The articles or molecules were seen at once to occulate, and in a few minutes'they had all settled to the bottom and the clear water was decanted. The flocculated particles or molecules were mixed with water and thrown onto a filterand the water passed through the filter clear, all the powder remaining on the filter-paper. On examination of the owder undera microscope it appeared to. e perfectl amorphous. On microscopic examination 0 some of the fine sediment from which the deflocculated molecules has been decanted it was found largely composed of microscopic crystals. The amorphous body. had. been completely separated from the crystalline.

Siloxicon moistened with an aqueous solution of catechu and subjected to the action of a bur-mill was disintegrated into very fine particles or molecules, and then when water was added in a separating-tank the suspended particles were floated off and recovered and the deflocculated powder was found to be extremely fine and would remain sus ended in the water a considerable time, and after being fiocculated by the addition of a solut1on of alum or equivalent it settled and was recovered, dried, and used. It could again be defiocculated by rubbing with a little water and catechu. From the fine siloxicon powder or molecules were formed articles WlllOh when dried were sufficiently cohesive to be handled and on heating to a tempera ture of about 2,000

Fahrenheit were sufiibodies in substantially the manner described they can be disintegrated or subdivided into.

the finest particles ormolecules and then be used for many and various purposes with the improved results, and many of such bodiessn treated can be molded into shape, and they may harden. or self-bind in the formsin which they are fashioned.

In using the term amorphous bodies.

and the term tannin I use them in the. broadest sense, intending to cover and em-' brace in my invention those materials which when treated substantially in the-manner set forth with the materials substantially set forth produce results of the general chameter described. v

What I claim is- 1. The method substantially as hereinhee fore set forth ofdisintegrating and'deflocculating amorphous bodies, which consists. m them with a solution having effects thereon like those due to tannimgrinding the maisaand separating the deflocculated' pare tides}; 2. The method substantially as hereinbefore set forthof disintegratin and defioccu-. lating amorphous bodies, which consists in mixing them with a solution'having efiects thereon like those due to tannin, the mass, and separating the defiocculated parti- .Qles by decantation. a

8. The method substantially as hereinbefore set forth of disintegrating and deflocculating amorphous bodies, which consists in mixing them with a solution having effects thereon like those due to tannin, grinding the mass, separating the deflocculated particles by decantation, and subjecting the suspend ed particles to a flocculating material.

4. The method substantially as hereinbefore set forth of disintegrating and defloccue lating amorphous bodies, which consists in mixing them with a solution having effects thereon like those due to tannin, grinding the mass, separating the defl'occulated particles by decantation, subjecting the suspended particles to a flocculating material, by adding a solution of alum.

5. The method substantially as hereinbe fore set forth of disintegrating and defiocc'utoo 75 I have found that by treating various mass, separatin the deflocculated' particles,

drying and mo ding the-same into articles, ind sub ecting the articles to the action of eat, 1

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 5 in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD GOODRIGH AOHESON.

Witnesses H. B. Bonmn, H NRY S. ELY. 

